I've Been Readin'.

I spent the day exploring a few different sites. The common theme was fatness. Sites like:
http://fatrantblog.wordpress.com/, www.bigfatblog.com, http://manolobig.com/, http://fatgirlslikeniceclothestoo.wordpress.com/, http://fatfu.wordpress.com/, and http://kateharding.net/. There are some funny, beautiful, talented, amazing people on those pages. They should be honored, celebrated, and accepted just as they are.

I myself weighed 10 pounds, 1 ounce at birth and have been larger-than-life ALL my life, and I recognize my own goddessness, but I don't know if I can get-all-the-way on the FAH. (The fat-acceptance horse.)

A lot of what is said in FA circles makes sense. Obesity is not inherently gonna kill you, but eating crap and not exercising is a problem at ANY weight. More of us are large than are thin, so WE are the norm. And fat can be beautiful...

But...the societal norm for beauty is pretty deeply buried in us. I don't think most of us could say that we deny that standard in total - otherwise we better not be putting mascara on our lashes, wearing high-heels, or styling our hair (cultural norm= big eyes and certain hairstyles are attractove, taller is better). We better ONLY be wearing a bra for comfort and not to lift and separate (cultural norm=have perky boobsters).

And we oughta think long and hard about whether we ever judge anyone ELSE on their appearance before we look down on others who have made friends with our "extra pounds," (cultural norm=thin is in) but still wouldn't mind minimizing our "flaws" (cultural norm=don't have a fat ass) with good fashion.

So I guess I'm always going to want my clothes to make me look taller and thinner. I'll probably keep having strong opinions about what looks "good" on myself and others. And if someone hands me the magic bean tomorrow that if consumed will make me tall and "fashionably thin"...I'll most likely have scarfed it down before they have a chance to explain that I must now give up my firstborn child in trade. Oh well. Color me old fashioned AND a bad mother.